With the forthcoming Linux 2.6.31 kernel there is finally Radeon kernel mode-setting support so that those running ATI graphics cards on Linux will be able to experience a cleaner boot process, faster VT switching, improved security, and other overdue features for Linux. Using kernel mode-setting with ATI Radeon hardware will require a supported kernel that is built with the appropriate kernel configuration options.

In addition, an updated DDX driver is also necessary so it realizes the kernel is handling the mode-setting process. While the Linux 2.6.31 kernel still has a number of weeks to go before it will be officially released, David Airlie has pushed the initial code into the xf86-video-ati driver Git repository so that it will run properly when in a KMS-enabled environment.

This work does also involve changes to TexturedVideo and EXA acceleration. What still has to be updated for the ATI KMS world in the mainline tree is the libdrm component, which should come soon.

Michael Larabel is the principal author of Phoronix.com and founded the site in 2004 with a focus on enriching the Linux hardware experience. Michael has written more than 10,000 articles covering the state of Linux hardware support, Linux performance, graphics drivers, and other topics. Michael is also the lead developer of the Phoronix Test Suite, Phoromatic, and OpenBenchmarking.org automated benchmarking software. He can be followed via Twitter or contacted via MichaelLarabel.com.

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